Light 6
Light and Moray were finishing up a lovely dinner. 11:26:26 PM Nation: ((Whoops, sorry.)) 11:26:48 PM Nation: But yes! The salmon was very good. 11:27:27 PM Light: Dessert? 11:29:54 PM Nation: Moray smiles. "... the mousse is very good, if you have a sweet tooth." 11:30:50 PM Light: ... I may possibly have eaten too much fish. 11:33:02 PM Nation: Moray: I'm going to order some dessert myself. You can share mine. 11:33:31 PM Light: Oh, that sounds good. Thanks. The salmon was good, though. You were right. 11:35:26 PM Nation: Moray smiles. "I told you." 11:35:58 PM Nation: The waiter comes along and clears your plates, and takes the dessert order: Moray orders some coffee for both of you and some mousse. 11:36:10 PM Nation: Moray: The dessert coffee is quite good. 11:37:29 PM Light: That does sound nice. I hope it's not too strong, though. 11:38:45 PM Nation: Moray shakes her head. "No. And they put rasberry essence in it." 11:39:18 PM Light: Good. Up all night otherwise. 11:40:15 PM Nation: Moray smiles. "Couldn't have that, could we?" 11:42:18 PM Light: I get pretty cranky without any sleep. 11:42:46 PM Nation: Moray: That's good to know. 11:42:52 PM Nation: She smiles slyly! 11:44:23 PM Light: Light smiles back, pretty much completely oblivious. 11:46:04 PM Light: You don't, I take it. I can't really imagine you cranky. 11:46:34 PM Nation: Moray: I'm used to going without sleep. Running my various enterprises is very time-consuming. 11:47:40 PM Light: Tell me about all these enterprises. 11:48:34 PM Nation: Moray: It is, I'm afraid, extremely boring. Various charitable trusts and business ventures, investments, that sort of thing. 11:49:07 PM Light: You think you're boring? You're incapable of being boring. I'm pretty sure. 11:53:07 PM Nation: Moray: Oh, I'm not fishing. I'm not saying I'm boring, just my business ventures. It all amounts to those things that rich people do to get richer. 11:54:14 PM Light: ... I have absolutely no idea what rich people do to get richer. Does it involve breaking kneecaps or just a lot of shouting? 11:55:10 PM Nation: Moray: Mostly the kinds of things I spoke of a moment ago. You give money to people who are trying to make money themselves, and if they're successful, you get your money back and then some. 11:56:37 PM Light: Investing. 11:57:51 PM Light: ... If you donate to St. Bathory's I may have to fill out conflict of interest forms. 11:58:18 PM Nation: Moray: There are forms for that? 11:59:34 PM Light: *darkly* There are forms for everything. There are forms for buying forms. 12:02:05 AM Nation: Moray: I'm rich. I have people for forms. 12:02:13 AM Nation: Moray: Would you like me to buy you some money? 12:02:45 AM Light: Is that how it works? 12:05:03 AM Nation: Moray: Well, it was intended as a joke, but now that I think of it, yes, that *is* how it works. 12:05:36 AM Light: That kind of magic I can't do. My money doesn't multiply, it just gets spent. ... mostly on books. 12:06:30 AM Nation: Moray: Oh, yes? You must have quite a collection. 12:07:46 AM Light: It's only not hoarding because they're shelved. 12:10:30 AM Nation: Moray: That's the line, eih? 12:11:16 AM Light: ... *neatly* shelved. 12:15:16 AM Nation: Moray: Fair enough. So people with big libraries can't be hoarders? 12:15:43 AM Light: Oh, they can be, I'm sure. 12:18:53 AM Nation: Moray: I'll have to get your opinion on mine. 12:19:07 AM Light: I'd like to see that. 12:21:48 AM Nation: Moray nods, and the waiter brings the dessert and the coffee. 12:23:00 AM Light: Light sips the coffee gratefully. 12:24:26 AM Nation: It's rather good, for coffee! Rasberry flavored. 12:28:44 AM Light: Different, but still recognizably coffee. You're right again. Are you ever wrong? 12:30:00 AM Nation: Moray: The key to never being wrong is to only speak authoritatively on subjects you know. 12:31:04 AM Light: What don't you know about? 12:32:31 AM Nation: Moray: Oh, many things. I don't know how to cook. Or swim. Or ride a bike. Or a horse. I don't know anything about animal husbandry. 12:32:54 AM Light: I bet you have people for all those things, though. 12:32:58 AM Light: Light tries some of her mousse. 12:34:37 AM Nation: It's good! It's velvetty and chocolatey. 12:35:36 AM Light: That is very good. But very rich. 12:36:52 AM Nation: Moray smiles. "That's why one serving is enough for both of us. So, after we're done here, back to my place?" 12:37:56 AM Light: Aha, willing to let me see the paintings? 12:38:38 AM Nation: Moray: of course. And you'll give me your pseudonyms. 12:39:41 AM Light: All of them. 12:41:07 AM Light: Light smiles. 12:43:14 AM Light: Let me ask you a question--is there anything you *don't* have people for? 12:44:15 AM Nation: Moray: Hmmm. Like what? Give me an example. 12:45:45 AM Light: Deciphering spellsword techniques is obviously one, but there must be others. 12:50:45 AM Nation: Moray: Oh. I thought you were speaking more specifically. Well, most of my academic hobbies I take care of myself. I also insist on preparing my own tea. 12:52:43 AM Light: Ah, but do you share it, is the question. 12:53:40 AM Nation: Moray: Of course. Most people find it a bit strong, though. 12:54:13 AM Light: I will take you up on that challenge. 12:56:13 AM Nation: Moray smiles. 12:57:55 AM Light: Light puts his (empty) cup down. 12:58:25 AM Nation: She sips at hers. 1:00:39 AM Light: Light watches her. 1:07:58 AM Nation: She eyes you over the brim of her cup! 1:08:14 AM Light: Light smiles. 1:14:33 AM Light: You really are lovely, you know. Intelligent and witty. 1:20:49 AM Nation: She smiles. "Why, thank you. I feel much the same." 1:21:44 AM Light: I assure you, you're very far out of my league. 1:21:55 AM Nation: Moray: I wouldn't say that. 1:22:31 AM Light: No? 1:22:50 AM Nation: Moray: Well, I'm here, aren't I? 1:23:10 AM Light: Somehow. 1:23:42 AM Nation: Moray smiles. 1:23:55 AM Nation: She finishes off her coffee and asks the waiter for the check! 1:24:15 AM Light: I'll catch the next one. I hope there is a next one. 1:25:49 AM Nation: Moray: Almost certainly. 1:26:03 AM Nation: Moray: You can choose the venue, if you wish. 1:27:34 AM Light: I'll keep that in mind. 1:29:02 AM Nation: Moray smiles and pays the bill! 1:30:17 AM Light: Light lets her, because he is not insecure in his manliness. 1:33:04 AM Nation: Moray stands and brushes her skirt off. "My carriage is outside. Shall we?" 1:33:53 AM Light: Of course. Do you mind if I take a moment to send a message to a friend? 1:34:59 AM Nation: Moray smiles. "Of course. I'll need to make a driver anyway." 1:35:28 AM Light: ... I'd like to watch you do that, though. 1:35:51 AM Nation: Moray nods. "I'll wait, then." 1:36:52 AM Light: Light sends a message to Rust asking him to meet Dr. M. at the proper place, and that if he can't, he should ask Feather to, but in either case, be careful. 1:38:36 AM Nation: Okay! Rust sends an acknowledgement back that he retrieved the message. 1:38:51 AM Light: Light steps outside with Moray. 1:39:50 AM Nation: It's raining! 1:40:32 AM Light: Light puts his hat on. 1:40:45 AM Light: Light also conjures an umbrella and holds it over her head. 1:41:33 AM Nation: She smiles. "Thanks. Rain, good.." She goes over to where the carriages and stuff are parked, and pets the horse. 1:42:08 AM Light: Light watches her, quite curious about her methods and materials. This is an area of magic that he's only dabbled in. 1:45:02 AM Nation: She intones a spell, creating an area of intense cold out in the rain. As the rain falls in that area, it freezes, eventually forming a humanoid shape. 1:46:09 AM Light: Clever. 1:46:31 AM Light: You make them of earth and water; do you make them of fire and air as well? 1:47:50 AM Nation: Moray: I can. Air golems are largely useless, as they're made of air. Fire has precious few uses beyond combat situations. Ice typically isn't useful except in the short term, but it looks impressive and I find I want to show off to you. 1:49:00 AM Light: I'm flattered. And it *is* beautiful. 1:51:10 AM Nation: After a couple of minutes, the ice-man seems finished, and Moray touches its head, which glows brieflly, before climbing up to take the drivers position. "Shall we?" 1:52:16 AM Light: Light offers her a hand up into the carriage, still holding the umbrella over her head. 1:52:55 AM Nation: She takes it, and sits down. It's a very nice carriage. Small and intimate! 1:53:56 AM Light: Light climbs in next to her, vanishing the umbrella. 1:57:40 AM Nation: The carriage lurches into motion, and Moray leans against Light! 1:58:11 AM Light: Light smiles, and puts an arm around her. 2:10:58 AM Nation: You ride through the city! She's quietly content. 2:11:55 AM Light: You have an unusual specialty, magicwise. 2:14:35 AM Nation: Moray: I suppose I do. When I was a child I would animate my dolls. 2:15:26 AM Light: I don't think I'd've thought of that. How intelligent can you make them? 2:17:33 AM Nation: Moray: It depends on the material used in their construction, and howl ong I spend on the construction. 2:17:57 AM Light: What do you use them for? 2:20:43 AM Nation: Moray: Small errands, mostly. 2:21:31 AM Light: Dealing with importunate college professors? 2:22:29 AM Nation: MOray: That's a good example, yes. 2:23:17 AM Light: Light smiles. 2:23:31 AM Light: I'm rather glad you decided to do it personally, though. 2:29:04 AM Nation: Moray smiles back, and the carriage takes you uptown to her apartment. 10:36:07 PM Light: Light mostly keeps his attention on her. 10:37:47 PM Nation: You go uptown to your fancy apartment, where a doorman comes along with an umbrella to usher you inside. 10:40:20 PM Light: Light cooperates with this and tries not to look impressed. Mostly this works. 10:40:56 PM Nation: Light has in fact been here before, at their first face to face meeting. 10:41:59 PM Light: Light *exactly.* 10:42:59 PM Nation: You go up to her apartment! Luckily, you do not find Rust baking in there. 10:44:12 PM Light: ... I half expected to find Rust baking in here. 10:44:55 PM Nation: She looks at you. "You're not kidding, are you? 10:45:32 PM Light: No. 10:47:39 PM Nation: Moray: Well, thank heavens for that, then. 10:47:47 PM Nation: She sets about lighting the place up! 10:48:50 PM Light: Light watches her, and pulls his coat off. 10:50:12 PM Nation: She comes over and offers to take his coat! "Make yourself at home, I'll put the kettle on." 10:51:57 PM Light: Light hands her his coat. 10:52:38 PM Nation: She takes it and hangs it up in the closet, along with her own. 10:54:02 PM Light: Light watches her; when she leaves, he'll look at the books, or the art. Whatever there is of either. 10:55:29 PM Nation: There's a couple of bookshelves here in the sitting room, lots of general-interest sitting room books - books of art, books about magic and famous casters, that sort of thing. 10:56:26 PM Light: Hm. 10:58:46 PM Nation: It's all very tasteful and neutral -- this is where she met you that day, it's probably where just just meets people in general. 11:00:07 PM Light: Hmm. 11:01:05 PM Light: Light keeps looking at books until she returns. 11:01:49 PM Nation: She returns with the tea tray and sets it down on the small table. 11:04:03 PM Light: Mind giving me the grand tour? 11:07:30 PM Nation: She smiles. "Of course not. The kettle is enchanted, it'll stay hot." 11:10:58 PM Light: Excellent. 11:11:14 PM Light: Light smiles. He's nervous. 11:11:45 PM Nation: So she takes Light around her apartment, showing him her office, which doubles as her library. 11:12:23 PM | Edited 11:14:22 PM Light: Light examines the books. 11:13:22 PM Nation: There's a lot more esoteric stuff in here, really, lots of rare volumes. 11:14:34 PM Light: Hm. I'd love to get my hands on some of these. 11:16:11 PM Nation: Moray: Well, you're welcome to borrow one, if you'd like. All of my rarer books are return-enchanted. 11:17:43 PM Light: Good. I'd hate to think I could forget something like that, but it could happen. 11:18:35 PM Nation: Moray opens a door, to a small bedroom. "Here's the bedroom, but I fall asleep in my office more often than not." 11:20:28 PM Light: I like your office. 11:22:44 PM Nation: Moray smiles. "You just like that every vertical surface is a bookshelf. 11:26:01 PM Light: Light grins. 11:26:07 PM Light: Well, yes. I do. 11:29:37 PM Nation: She also has a really nice desk, very ostentatious, probably one of the showier pieces of furniture in here. The rest of her stuff, while very nice, is not exactly elaborate or fancy. 11:30:05 PM Light: Beautiful desk. 11:32:52 PM Nation: She smiles. "It was my husband's. It's enchanted to repel dust." 11:33:55 PM Light: ... clever. 11:35:27 PM Nation: Moray: It's a very handy enchantment. Dust gets into all kinds of nooks and crannies. 11:39:11 PM Light: It does, and spells don't deal with it well, either. Apparently definition is the problem. 11:41:38 PM Nation: Moray: This is just enchanted to repel particles of solid matter of a certain size or smaller. 11:43:02 PM Light: Hmm. 11:43:08 PM Light: Dust and crumbs. 11:43:25 PM Light: Not a good bench for working with magnetic filings and the like, though. 11:44:46 PM Nation: Moray: No. But I don't work with those things on the desk -- just paper and ink, largely. 11:48:18 PM Light: Light has a very brief moment in which he contemplates ravishing her right there on the desk. But manages to put that right out of his head. 11:48:22 PM Light: Still. A nice study. 11:54:15 PM Nation: It would leave very little incriminating evidence. 11:55:53 PM Light: Light quashes that thought. He is not a babarian. And desperately doesn't want to ruin this. AM Nation: She then shows you the dining room, and kitchen. She shows you her tea cabinet, which is extremely fragrant. AM Light: That smells wonderful. AM Light: Light doesn't even dare to think about *that.* AM Nation: She smiles. "Do you approve of my collection, then?" AM Light: I do. But you haven't shown me the paintings yet. AM Nation: Moray: I thought you wanted me to show you around. AM Light: There's more? There's more. Of course. I forget that not everyone has a very small house. AM Nation: She smiles, and takes you out to a covered terrace that doubles as a bit of greenhouse. AM Light: Wow, that's beautiful. Fruit all year-round without magic? AM Nation: Moray: My husband's hobby; I have a bit of a black thumb. AM Light: When did he... AM Nation: Moray: He died about five years ago. AM Light: ... probably the wrong topic of conversation. Sorry. I was just curious. Who maintains it now? AM Nation: Moray: Oh, the maids do. They don't mind; I've asked them. AM Light: Light inspects the flowers. AM Nation: They're nice flowers! But DM doesn't know flowers that well. So they're pretty. AM Light: Some lilies. AM Nation: Moray smiles. "Well then. Shall we?" AM Light: Light takes her arm in a gentlemanly way. AM Nation: She lets him, and you go back to her office. AM Light: Light does not pour the tea; that's usually the host's job. AM Nation: The tea is in the sitting room, still! She goes to her desk and opens up one of the draws, pulling out some parchments! "Okay, you asked for it." AM Light: I did. AM Nation: She hands them over! AM Light: Light inspects them, curiously. AM Nation: They are awful. Unquestionably awful. Splotchy and barely recognizable in terms of their subjects. Though you think that one is a clown. AM Light: Hm. It's a start. Are you drawing first or just painting? AM Nation: Moray: Just painting. And you're kind to say that. AM Light: You should get an instructor if you don't have one. You'll get a good grounding in the basics. Or punch your instructor in the face and switch to a new hobby; either way... AM Nation: Moray: Well, I enjoy it either way, isn't that the point? Like I said, I never anticpated showing anyone. AM Light: True. It's up to you, of course. If you like it better on your own, there's no need. AM Nation: She smiles. "Well then. You've seen mine." AM Light: I was hoping you'd forget. Well, let me just... fetch. AM Light: Light uses a retrieval spell and ends up holding three books of short stories and two magazines. He hands them all to Moray. AM Nation: She takes them, fascinated! "Let's go back to the sitting room." AM Light: Light nods, and heads back there! And because her hands are full he does pour the tea. AM Light: Light pours hers first, of course, and hands it to her. AM Nation: It's very good tea. I don't know tea enough to be more specific, but it's good. She sets the books down on the couch and takes the tea. "Thank you." AM Light: Light sips it with a happy little sigh and sits on the couch next to the pile of books. AM Nation: She takes one of the magazines and starts flipping! AM Light: ((It's a magazine full of stories and art and poetry by various different people. He hasn't used his own name at all, but his pseudonym is the name of an early caster, joined with that of an early philosopher, so it's not that hard to work it out.)) AM Light: ((He writes genre fiction, and he's reasonably good at it. Mystery, science fiction, space travel and, well. One of the books is full of romances.)) AM Nation: Moray: ... well, aren't you full of surprises? AM Light: Light blushes when she gets to that one. AM Light: ... I have two in that one. AM Light: ((The romances are more historical than the others, and also fairly character-driven. He's not a bad writer.)) AM Light: Light sips his tea. AM Nation: Moray: You're very good. Why write under a pseudonym? AM Light: The school wouldn't like it. ... particularly not the romances. AM Nation: Moray: Why not those in particular? AM Light: They're all full of sex. AM Nation: Moray: ... again, what's wrong with that? AM Light: Light reddens. AM Light: Uh, well. Schools are conservative. AM Light: We're all supposed to be stuffy and tedious and full of virtue. AM Nation: Moray: Hmm. I see. That's too bad. Though its a good way to avoid all the groupies. AM Light: I wouldn't have groupies. For one thing, they think a woman wrote that. AM Nation: Moray: I mean the pseudonym is a good way to avoid the groupies. AM Light: ... it's not that good. AM Nation: Moray: They're very good. AM Nation: Moray: I'm thinking about chaining you up in my sex dungeon after reading the romances. AM Light: Light chokes on his tea, and sputters incoherently, covering his mouth with a napkin to cough. AM Nation: Moray laughs lightly. "Of coruse, I'd need to build one, first." AM Light: Light 's eyes water and he wheezes a little bit. "Of course. *hem*" AM Nation: Moray giggles a little. "The look on your face is priceless. I wish I was a better painter." AM Light: Light smiles a little bit. AM Light: ... I'm... just glad it was a joke. AM Nation: Moray: Mostly. I *am* thinking about asking you to stay the night. AM Light: Light blushes all over again. AM Nation: Moray: How would you reply? AM Light: ... I'm not sure if that's a good idea. Is that going too fast? AM Nation: Moray: I don't know. I rather like you. And I'm a fairly direct person. AM Light: ... thankfully. I just... have a habit of messing this up. AM Nation: Moray: .. habit? I didn't think you did this so often. AM Light: Every couple of years? AM Light: Sometimes the first date goes well, and then... nothing. AM Nation: Moray: Oh, I see. Well, I'll leave it up to you, then -- you can stay, or you can go. Either way, there will be a second date, I promise. AM Light: You promise? AM Nation: Moray smiles. "Of course. You're far too interesting." AM Light: Light leans over and kisses her. AM Nation: She kisses him back! AM Light: Light will not be going home tonight. At all. AM Nation: Curtain! Nation